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Three England rookies who tore it up in Investec Champions Cup Round 1
By Ian Cameron
In a thrilling start to the Investec Champions Cup, Round 1 delivered outstanding performances that set the tone for the competition – England rookie Will Joseph in particular standing out.
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Joseph proved a nightmare for Racing 92’s defence, contributing to Harlequins’ remarkable feat of beating 42 defenders against the Parisians as the Londoners stormed to a famous 31-28 victory at the La Defense Arena on Sunday night.
Joseph – the younger brother of England and British & Irish Lions tourist Jonathan Joseph – accumulated 34 post-contact meters, the most by any player over the weekend.
The 21-year-old England prospect covered 115 meters, beat eight defenders, and made four clean breaks, solidifying an exceptional all-around performance in Round 1.
Fellow England young guns Ollie Lawrence and Alfie Barbeary both made a significant impact for Bath, recording seven dominant carries each, the highest in Round 1, as Bath eased past Ulster 37-14 at The Rec.
Springboks’ Rugby World Cup hero Handré Pollard of Leicester Tigers emerged as the top points scorer in the round, notching an impressive 20 points, including his maiden Investec Champions Cup try, against the Stormers at Welford Road.
Despite being on the losing side against Northampton Saints, Josh McKay of Glasgow Warriors showed he’s a threat in both carries and metres gained, recording 22 carries and covering an impressive 150 metres.
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Aussie Angus Scott-Young of Northampton Saints showcased defensive grit in the same match, leading the tackles with 25 in Round 1.
A little-known French player by the name of Antoine Dupont displayed excellent playmaking skills, delivering seven offloads for Stade Toulousain as they thrashed Cardiff.
Notable debuts marked the opening round, with Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn scoring two tries on his debut for Stade Toulousain probably the pick of the bunch.
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Latest Comments
The writer here ignores the fact that, following on from not taking the penalty kick, the All Blacks did manage to score a try a few minutes later. Not directly from the penalty awarded, but it is speculation to say that had they opted to take the koi they would have won. Even if they kicked it, which was no guarantee, they would still be trailing and would have had to start again at half-way.
Go to commentsI would be surprised if Sales Opoku Fordjour and Northampton’s Tommy Freeman are not in the team, Anthony Watson is also one that could go on the wing. One thing I must say is that the front 3 will get destroyed against a team like South Africa.
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